Dragon Quest 8: The Search for Dhoulmagus
by DragonQuester
Summary: I know, poor title. Might change it. ANYWAYS, this is an abridgment of the story of Dragon Quest 8. My crazy reason for this is given inside. First chapter of story is up. You can click on it just outta kindness.
1. Random Intro

This here is just a little intro over me and why I'm writing this. So if you want you can just go ahead and skip this unless you just want to read about my insanity (KUkukuKU). And believe me it's insanse insanity... 

I do not own _Dragon Quest 8: Journey of the Cursed King_. If I did own the story and everything, it would be seriously screwy screwed. Beyond the word of screwy. Beyond screws in total.

Hallo, my name is DragonQuest. You can call me Mema, Emmer, Loser (the most often used name) ,or you can just call me what my relatives do at family reunions, "That One." I have scraggly brown hair with the occasional gerbil dropping mixed in and little ratty eyes behind blue glasses that totally don't match my usual attire of jeans and a T-shirt. My skin's as pale as transparency making me look like a runaway midget off a Tim Burton movie. I'm a foot shorter than my best friend, nine inches shorter than my second best friend, and six inches shorter than my third best friend. And that's all my friends and I'm a year older than all of them, but we're all in the same 'freshest' grade. On that astral chart thingy with those weird animal-like thingys I'm the bull-thing. On the Chinese one, I'm a monkey along with the rest of my primate cousins. I have no idea what blood-type I am cuz I hate needles and doctors and whenever I have to go the doc my dad lies to me and says he's taking me to the bookstore. The doctor's office isn't my first choice in a quality bookstore. Don't get all mad at me for being needle-phobic thinking I won't donate blood cuz of it. I can't donate blood: I'm under the weight limit. I'm not bulimic or anemic of any other mics, I just have an uber-high metabolism. Or all the fat I eat from the Chinese restaurant, Micky-D's, Burger King, and that fast-food place that does tacos, goes straight into my arteries and avoids the deflated balloons on my chest. Oh, speaking of tacos, I like chocolate dipped everything too. Chocolate sauce on tacos isn't as bad as it sounds either, same with orange chicken. Most people say I speak too softly, most people say I speak too loudly. I can laugh my lungs out at the same joke and still find it hilarous for eight-times in a row. Every teacher I have had has never noticed me until the last day of school when I emerge from the darkest, dankest classroom corner. The bookstore people hate it when I politely demand them to put manga on the shelves faster. My dad says I scare him when I get too excited and my ears start wiggling. Really, my mini elephant ears wiggle when I get too hyped up. My, mother's side, grandparents fear me.

My life's top eight heroes are: Adam Sessler, Blair Butler, Ace Ventura, Austin Powers, Jay Leno, that guy down my street that saved a cat from the gutter one time, my sane grandmother, and the poor blonde girl who survived dating my brother for over a year. Only to dump him later in a Wallmart. (I love telling that story...)

ANYWAYS, sorry for the random mema based introduction. I just put it up there in case anyone wants a clear picture of who is crazy enough to write this fanfic. By the way, I'm not crazy, just intelligence-restricted (which is a nice way to say the re and tard word. By using that phrasing I avoid hurting that idiot, my, feelings).

ANYWAYS (yeah, I switch from subject to subject like a bull-monkey on a vine), I know that you want a fanfic. And you wanted a DragonQuest fanfic which is why you went to this website and selected the DragonQuest section of this website. And you want a DragonQuest 8 fanfic which is why you went to this website and selected the DragonQuest section then clicked on a Dragon Quest 8 on this website. See how much I know about you already? I'm like psychic. Well, this is a fanfic. But it's my fanfic, and once you have clicked on it there is no escape. (insert evil clown laughing here). Unless you click on the X button in the corner. Then you'll never see this again. And then I'll only have my gerbils as company...

Ah-hem, anyways this fanfic is over the story of _Dragon Quest 8: Journey of the Cursed King_. When I say that, I mean it's an abridgment. By the miserably writing me. And it's not a parody... Yup, I can hear the readers leaving now... ANYWAYS, you see, I love Dragon Quest 8 with all my shriveled heart. In fact...(calculating, calculating, calculating, calculating, calculating, calculating, calculating, calculating)... I've spent nearly 250 hours on the game. Well, it's not as much as a die-hard fan who lives the game would play...or is it? Anyways, that's a whole lotta time. Time I could have spent getting a boyfriend...but that would have just been a horribly disappointing experience. And I know disappointing experiences well. So, those nearly 250 hours were spent all in good time. Good time that I enjoyed fully. Dragon Quest 8 was my first...(blushes). As in my first RPG. And let me ramble to you, the first time I played through that game I was mesmerized. I played that game as soon as I could over the weekends and during school breaks I'd have Dragon Quest 8 crams.

I played the game and talked to my dad at the same time, played the game and listened to my brother complain about his non-existent girlfriends, played the game and pet my gerbils at the same time, played the game and IM my friends at the same time, played the games and ate chocolaty orange chicken at the same time, played the game and did home-o-work at the same time, played the game and told stories about my uber intelligent-restricted brother to anyone who would listen at the same time, played the game when I was sick and could hardly wheeze out a breath at the same time. Dragon Quest 8 brought me something to look forward to and I could use to escape from the horrors of school. Then when I completed the game I went nuts. I thought the game was also in book form so I searched bookstores looking for a Dragon Quest 8 novel or manga or light novel or picture book or ANYTHING. Then it hit me that of course it wasn't a book and it wasn't as popular as I had hoped around my nick of the woods. It couldn't be a book cuz well, DUR, silent hero syndrome. And it wasn't very popular because...well, everyone I knew just wanted Final Fantasy. (sigh) Yeah, I'm not brave enough to take a hack at degrading Final Fantasy by saying something like "Final-Fantasy-is-not-all-that-great-as-people-say" in a long rambling way, cuz I know people would kill me most foully for that.

ANYWAYS on to talk about the fanfic. As stated earlier it is an abridgment as in I'm going to write out the entire story. (take bets now on if I'll finish writing it or not) But as you can see from the title of this fanfic "Dragon Quest 8: The Search for Dhoulmagus" (I suck at names, and I know with a title like that it's not gonna get a lot of attention, poo-hoo me) that this part is not gonna go over the whole story. I'm gonna split it up. I don't want like, a hundred chapters (hundred bucks on me not getting that far) on one fanfic. Anyways, it'll make me look like I've written more with spread out parts of it. Yeah, I'm the type of person who would do that (har har har). ANYWAYS, enough of my rambling, I have explained my purpose. Now, if you wish to do so, you can read the first chapter of the story. Now, I'm not hoping for lots of views cuz I know this idea to write out the whole story is totally lame and unoriginal. But I need at least a few people to give me some writing tips here and there. I'm not only writing this out of my love for Dragon Quest 8, I'm also doing it to improve with writing. And since the Hero is gonna talk in this story, the script is gonna be a little different. Not to mention, I'll add my own random thing here and there to see if it'll get anyone's attention (for my first couple of chapters though I'm gonna follow the game closely, and not add anything real big). So if someone could give me a few pointers here and there I'd be grateful and I'd give you a big "THANKKEE MUCHLY!"

FINAL WORD: The hero's name is going to be...(drumroll)...Keal (and don't worry, I'll force him to talk). Why such a weird name as Keal? Well, I think it's better than the others I thought up, Meacle and Adache (yes, fantasy sounding aren't they? I'm a fantasy novel addict, I blame my beloved Dragon Quest for that. Go Tamora Pierce and that other lady who writes the Quickening Series!) While I personally like those names (a little bit), I decided on Keal for one reason. And here it is:  
A, J, K, M, T, Y

It's a short-hand version of the alphabet! What do those letters stand for? If you're not a Dragon Quest fan you probably have no idea. Anyway, Dragon Quest lovers? Can you think of any Dragon Quest 8 character who's name starts with K? Ha, I thought so...Wait, OH CRAPDODDLES. I just remember one...(one hope shot down)...Oh well. I'm sticking with Keal unless anyone out there has any other suggestions. Now, I'm leaving this empty-pit to go explore some other Dragon Quest fanfics. I suggest you, anyone reading this, to do the same. Buh-byes for now...or if you're gonna read the next chapter of this I guess it's not farewell yet...(watery, hopeful eyes) I'd feel ever so grateful if you'd give the next chapter just a little look-see!


	2. King'sQuest&FortuneTeller'sPredicament

"The King's Quest and the Fortune Teller's Predicament"

I do not own Dragon Quest 8, as you probably already knew from the lame name of this chapter. (angry sigh) I admit, this chapter's name is horrible. BUT IT'S THE FIRST CHAPTER, I get some handicap points right? AT LEAST I NAMED IT.(mumble, grumble) First chapter and I've already intimidated myself by my lack of...in-gen-uity. Whatever that is. Well...At least I covered what the first chapter's about in the title. YEAH, I got the beginning set up in the title and you can predict what the ending goes over. Oh, right! Maybe it's not so sucky of a title after all!(note: I'm a pessimist who severely wants to be an optimist.) Right, now back on track. I'm DragonQuest and this fanfic is the story of _Dragon Quest 8: Journey of the Cursed King_ and this is the first chapter of the story. Since it's the first chapter and all I kinda 'ave training wheels on. I'm playin' the game AND writin' at the same time. Ya see, Yangus' accent has always confounded me, and I need a few practices to get the 'ang of it. So, yeah I'm cheating, I wish I could do it all by memory but that's too much to hope for with my brain. If you wish to proceed farther go on ahead (I dare ya, triple-dog-dare ya ), I won't try to stop you. I'm just here to warn you. Here it is: first chapter, "The King's Quest and the Fortune Teller's Predicament" (the title isn't as awe-inspiring as I had imagined it would be...it's a little on the runny side isn't it? Oh, speaking of runny, this might be a bit long, being first chapter an' all so...if you are gonna read, prepare yourself).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The shroud of mist that had so quickly enclosed his mind began to dissipate steadily. He opened his eyes. The guardsman didn't realize he had been lying face down on the stone balcony. Whatever had stunned his senses had hit him with a force stronger and swifter than any blow he had ever taken. With a hand to his forehead the guard rose.

His post was on the western balcony overlooking the castle courtyard. The night duty he had upheld since the beginning of his rank lasted from the end of supper to the zenith of the moon's travel. Usually alone or with another low-ranking guardsmen, he would dutifully stand at perfect attention until the job, often described by some as being the dullest soldier's obligation, ended. Until that night he had never once found himself unconscious during the role he held at such high importance.

On that night when the full-silver lined moon was veiled behind thick black clouds, the castle stood in tragedy. The guardsman could only stare horrified at the sight before him. Everywhere, thorns on vines as thick as an executioner's sword entrapped the castle. Thorns, with a glowing green pulse and blackened, unnaturally sharp ends. Vines holding tight to the castle's walls and spires; some even breaking out of windows and the thick grey stone of the fated castle. But to the guardsman's horror not only was the castle structure in the thorn's hold.

To his right he saw the form of a maid. He remembered faintly before that she had told him she was passing through to get to the castle kitchen. Commonly enough, such a thing was like a ritual; someone would always pass the guard when he was on duty. He had often enjoyed their company.

The maid was now like a statue, perfectly still and lifeless. Her body was not wrapped in vines of thick thorns, instead she had become one of malevolent tendrils. The maid's arms were replaced with thorns, her body the color of the thorns, her face punctured with thorns. Her small mouth hung open in an unheard scream with smaller vines trailing down into her throat. Only her eyes, shock white, remained untouched.

The guard stood in shock. His eyes wide and his breath coming out in pained gasps. Then a sharp pain bit into the side where his tunic's pocket was under his armor. He regained his bearing and took a deep breath, thankful to be brought out of his overwhelming panic. The guard had to think. He needed to search the castle and find others like him that had withstood whatever had blighted the castle. But the foreboding stillness around him revealed the truth. There was no scurrying of other guards, no screams of fear emitting from anyone, no cries of help.

Walking carefully the guard opened the door to the inside of the castle. Thorns had taken hold over the inside of the castle's walls, destroying statues, portraits, nearly everything, and overwhelming the castle halls and rooms. The guard ran through the silence of the castle passing numerous others who had suffered the same fate of the maid. He tried to control the vast terror he felt as he ran through the halls, searching for life in the dead castle walls. After a half hour of his mad search, the guard reached one of the farthermost halls of the castle. The hall that held the castle's treasured artifact.

The guard's fevered panting almost covered the sound of a soft rustling. He almost didn't hear it coming from behind the large imposing door covered in thin vines. With a second of hesitation, the guard stepped towards the door and pushed it open. A muffled wail come from further in the room. The guard ascended the vault's steps slowly. Although the door itself hadn't been completely covered in thorns, the thorn-invested tendrils were thicker in this room than in any other part of the castle.

The guard reached the final step and entered the vault's magic circle. There he found the source of the only human wail issued that night from the castle. It sat huddled in misery in front of a crumpled form within the complicated magic design. The guard's felt as if a cold knife had pierced him and left a chill in his blood. In front of him were the only other two survivors of the thorns' rage. He, however, was the only human survivor, the others before him were tormented creatures.

---------------------------------

Munchie scurried about contentedly. The light brown mouse ran his small paws over the grass as fast as he could. He slowed to a walk then sat back to look up at the sun, past its noon-high place. After a quick look around the rest of the area, Munchie turned and ran back to the clearing he had come from. Munchie's travel stopped short as he skidded to a stop in front of a hunched dull green troll-like figure in his way. Trode noticed the small mouse and after a cruel look he leered angrily at him. Munchie immediately high-tailed it out and ran back to the safety of the yellow jacket.

Keal smiled down at the mouse settling down in his jacket pocket. His little pet sure was strange; any other pet mouse would have ran for mousy freedom if let outside, but Munchie always returned to Keal. It'd been like that ever since Keal could remember having the mouse.

"Oy! Guv!" cried Yangus, bringing Keal out of his thoughts. Yangus waved until he finally held Keal's attention. "It's gonna get dark if we 'ang about 'ere much longer," said Yangus. "Let's 'ead inta town. There's better places than this to spend an evenin'!" The stout man motioned towards the thicket of forest around them with his big, hairy arms.

Wearing nothing but blue pants, the hide of some animal, and a green spiked helmet made of something, Yangus didn't look to be the type of person you'd want to be friendly with, unless you were being hunted be gang who wanted to kill you and you needed a strong tough-looking guy to scare the bodily fluids out of them while you went on living having learned your lesson to avoid bloodthirsty gangs hopefully for the rest of your life. Keal had thought Yangus was a scary individual at first just like many had before him, but the scarred, thick-skinned Yangus could be a trust-worthy companion. An especially trust-worthy companion to his guv.

"Shake a leg, guv!" shouted Yangus. Keal lifted himself off the tree stump he had been resting on. He walked over to where Yangus stood next to Trode. "Are we ready to head out?" asked Keal but he quickly saw that they wouldn't be heading out straightway just yet. Trode, sitting on his rump, had fallen back to sleep with a foul look on his face. He muttered in a sleep-like trance that was impossible to understand. Yangus looked over the green troll and shook his head. "I've prob'ly said it before, but it beats me 'ow you ended up workin' for an old codger like 'im!" said Yangus. Then he closed his eyes and began speaking as matter-of-factly as he could. "Not that I can talk, though, eh?! Guess people can say the same thing about me workin' for you."

Before Keal could make a reply, Trode woke up from his nap. He fixed his dropping eyes on Yangus. Trode's height was only half of Yangus', who was so stout he made up for his height in width. Every inch of Trode's skin, including he pointed ends of his ears, was the same shade of green. Disturbingly bright pink lips made up his large mouth. "Hm? Old codger? I do hope you're not referring to me!" spoke the intelligent, kingly voice of Trode, a voice not to be expected of a small troll. "What would you know? A lowlife like you wouldn't recognise nobility if it came bit you on the a-..."

Keal sighed. Trode and Yangus hadn't stopped snapping at each other since Yangus had joined up. The two could find any moment at any time to argue and insult one another. Keal had never guessed that Trode would go the extent to speak a foul word towards Yangus.

Yangus stared Trode directly in the eye as Trode tried to finish the rest of his sentence. Apparently Keal's feeling had been right and Trode couldn't finish the word he had been forming. "Arrrrgh!" growled Trode. _'If it came and bit you on the arrrgh,'_ Keal thought that saying was rather original.

Trode and Yangus glared at each other with newfound dislike. Each of them trembled with the force of their glare. Keal stood helplessly in front of them. Trode was the first to break off from the glaring fit. "Enough dilly-dallying..." _'Dilly dallying?'_ "...Keal!" Trode just became aware of Keal for the first time since he had been standing there. "Where's the princess? I can't see her anywhere..." Trode turned his head everywhere, looking for any sign of his princess.

"What are you talking about she's over..." Keal looked to where the white canvas carriage stood. The Princess wasn't by it.

"She's not there anymore!" snapped Trode. He ran all around the forest clearing looking for her. Yangus joined in the search too. Keal stayed where he was and looked to the other direction. Behind him he could hear the gentle trickle of water flowing in a small pond. Every so often he heard a slap of water. Another slap, another, finally a sharp slurrrrp and a frenzied bubbling. Keal looked to see what was making all the noise. To his shock three slimes leaped out of the pond. How little drops of slime can leap or even move was a mystery to him, but he knew the slimes weren't just masses of deep blue water with eyes and a mouth; they were monsters.

"Uh-oh! Here comes trouble, guv!" said Yangus. He reached for the crude spiked club on his back. Keal's right hand grasped his own weapon, a simple cheap sword, and held it with both hands. He placed himself in front of Trode who was just as shocked as he had been at the appearance of the monsters.

"Let's get rid of them quickly! We can't have these things scaring Princess Medea." With that said, Keal made a step towards the closest slime and made a successful slice through the middle of it.

"Right!" replied Yangus as he bludgeoned a slime flat with one whack. The last slime made a fast side jump for Trode but Keal got in its path. Keal struck his sword straight through the slime. "Wow, I forgot that slimes could be killed so easily," commented Keal, putting his sword in the sheath strapped to his back. He folded his arms across his chest looking defiant and proud, even knowing that he had only defeated two practically harmless monsters.

"Yeah, they ain't much trouble. We can 'andle them no problem," said Yangus. He tied the end of his club back to the rope attached to his open fur shirt. Yangus put his hands to his sides and stood beside Keal.

"Well..." began the composed Trode standing before them, "they certainly took us by surprise. But nothing we couldn't handle, eh?" Then Trode began freaking out again. "Now where's the Princess? Where's my Medea?! My precious one and only daughter!" He started his princess quest all over again.

Keal didn't move to help Trode, but turned to see where the entrance of the forest clearing was. There a beautiful white horse was moving gracefully towards them. A lovely blue blanket underneath a rein holster sat atop her flawless coat like a robe. She looked to be any normal horse, but her clear turquoise eyes held a clarity beyond any other of her kind. "Ah! There you are!" Trode exclaimed, his face lighting up with a relief. "Thank goodness you're safe, Medea!" He ran over to the horse and put one of his green cheeks to her blue blanket, hugging as much of her as he could. Medea looked down at Trode and the light grey hair of her tail swished back and forth. Keal watched the two and a slight smile crossed his face.

"Aye-aye, the 'orse-princess is back," said Yangus to Keal, who still had his eyes on the reunited troll-man and horse. "I say we make a move now, before it gets dark."

"...Huh? Oh, right, Yangus," replied Keal, his eyes down on the shorter, yet stronger man. "Farebury's only minutes away, we'll make it in time for evening." Yangus nodded and began heading off towards the path. Keal still couldn't quite believe Yangus had such a firm understanding of Trode and Medea's situation after only knowing them for two days. Maybe Yangus was just use to the weird, he thought, or he didn't believe the story at all and was only playing along. Keal and Trode had done their best to explain, of course Trode had slipped in slights to Yangus' appearance and intelligence the entire time so that might have changed Yangus' mind of the truth to the story Trode told him somewhat. But the story was a difficult one to understand. Keal looked towards Trode who was still hugging the mare. It was hard to believe that the king of the lands Keal was in now had really been changed into such a, well, distasteful form. And the Princess, Keal watched Medea as Trode harnessed her to the carriage, had been like her father transformed, but into a never-speaking, full horse.

"Keal! Come quickly, we can't waste any more time now! Farebury awaits," said Trode from his place on the carriage driver's seat. Keal with a pat to Munchie joined his king and princess' side.

------------------------------------

The path to Farebury had been short. Keal had walked beside the carriage the whole time, listening to Trode relate his story once again while he added his own word every so often. Yangus had rushed ahead to climb a hill and catch a glimpse of the well-known Farebury before jumping off and rejoining the group at the town's entrance.

"I wonder wot all that smoke is comin' off of," remarked Yangus. He was beside Keal on the small bridge into town. From Keal's vantage point, there was a large plummet of black smoke rising from somewhere in Farebury. It was dense enough to be visible from the clearing they had left. The smell of debris was faint, but not bothersome, in the still air.

"Maybe it's from a nice delicious barbeque being cooked for a tired, traveling king," said Trode, laughing a bit at his own joke before falling back into a frown.

"Oy, don't make me any hungry'ir, ya old codger," retorted Yangus. He rubbed his stomach. "Felt like it's been forev'er since I last 'ad a bite."

Trode glared over at Yangus. "You're not the only one starving, you fat..." Keal wondered if the 'arrgh' sound would come into insult again, but Trode finished his sentence with a new manner, "...oaf! All I had was some tasteless, stale bread..." Trode made a disgusted face, seemingly forgetting that Yangus and Keal too had only eaten bread. Then Trode went on, "And don't call me a codger ever again or else you will suffer!"

"Hey, the gate's opening," said Keal loudly to stop any more words to ignite between Yangus and Trode. Medea led the carriage in first while Keal and Yangus took either side of it. Trode smiled a little as they entered Farebury, the largest town in the kingdom. Neat houses and merchants' booths lined the cobblestone street they took. Passer-Byers took double and triple takes of Trode's appearance. Keal , a bit unnerved, took notice at how some townsfolk stared at Trode with more than just wary looks. Some looks carried what felt to be a deep animosity towards the green Trode.

The street lead to the town's main court. Being the in the center, the court had a large set of stone steps that lead to a quieter level above the rest of the town. Gently gonging bells counting the hour resounded from the church on the second level. A walkway above the middle of the court led directly to the church and offered townsfolk a nice look over the plaza. In the daytime the court was packed with people taking a stroll, kids hurrying along, shoppers bartering with buyers in their set-up stands, and guards filing for the safety of the town. When Keal, Yangus, and Trode arrived the throng of people was emptying but still in motion. The sky was at the orange tinge of evening, and Farebury was slowing down for the night. Trode drove the carriage to the side of an empty wall and pulled up Medea's reins gently. The horse brought the carriage to a halt then reared up and let out a loud, but yet dulcet, neigh. Trode jumped off the driver's seat to land neatly in front of Keal and Yangus. "Yes. Yes! Here we are. If my memory serves me correctly this is the place," said Trode taking in as much of Farebury as he could. "This is the town where Master Rylus lives."

Yangus squinted his eyes in confusion. "Hold yer 'orses, grandad!" he interrupted. "I thought it was Dhoulmagus we was after." Keal was confused too and surprised that Yangus could pronounce the name Dhoulmagus perfectly. The name that set an unpleasant knot in Keal.

"I AM NOT YOUR GRANDAD!" shouted Trode, a tick forming on his forehead. "And of course Dhoulmagus is our man!" Trode started a loud rambling at the name that caused more than a few people to stare more avidly at him. Much to Keal's alarm. "He's the one who turned Medea and I into such laughing stocks! But that dastardly magician can't hide from us forever! We must track him down and lift this confounded curse!" Trode lifted his hands into the air and added emphasis to the word 'confounded'. Then he glanced sadly at his white mare. "Oh! Just look at my poor Medea!" Trode grieved and spoke, Keal sighed thankfully, softer. "And we'd only just settled on her engagement to the Prince of Argonia...Oh, that despicable Dhoulmagus!"

"Guv, wot does cods-found-it mean?" asked Yangus. Turning his gaze off the energetic green Trode.

"I think confounded is the same as annoying," answered Keal. He checked the number of people near them. It wasn't too many, but he didn't want anyone listening into what Trode was saying.

"Thatss why itss imperative we locate Rylus!" Trode kept talking, ignoring Yangus and Kealss conversation. Trode didn't seem to notice the small crowd around them. "I order you to find him, Keal," said Trode in what sounded like an end-of-the-conversation-already tone.

Keal, worried and still as confused as Yangus, replied with a simple, "Why?" "Yeah, why?" repeated Yangus. With one eye he gave a blonde man who had wandered too close to him a threatening look; the man flinched away and ran like 'ell.

"Rylus is the very man who taught Dhoulmagus his meddlesome magic!" explained Trode rather exasperated. "Don't you see?" Trode bent his finger to Keal to lower his head. Trode said as quietly as possible but still hearable, "There's every chance Rylus will be able to give us a clue as to Dhoulmagus' whereabouts. Thatss why you must find him."

"Aren't you going to search for him too?" asked Keal, still with his head down. He whispered to Trode like he was giving away the secret of all secrets. "With more searching we'd be able to cover more area."

Trode shook his head. "No, I'll be waiting for you here. I don't want to wander around in this...state." He moved into the shadows near the carriage. "Now, go find Master Rylus, Keal, and inform him of my situation then implore him to give us assisstance," said Trode in the tone of a general issuing an order before an army.

Keal stood straight and nodded. "Understood, sir." He walked off without another word towards a second adjourning street out of the court. Yangus rushed after him. "You weren't thinkin' of goin' wivout me, I 'ope!" grunted Yangus. "I'm the best there is when it comes to lookin' for people. It's my 'piece de resistance' as they say."

_'Did he just speak French?'_ "Really? Well, use it as best as you can. It's going to take awhile to search this whole place." As Keal walked down the street he could smell a stifling burnt odor getting worse and worse.

"I sugguesst we find the town bar," suggested Yangus. Getting into his 'piece de resistance', expertise, he added, "We can find out all sorts of info there, guv. It may be a bit shaky though, all sorts of people gather there, too." He lifted his face to the evening sky and breathed in through his nose in a quick snort. "Hey, do ya smell that?"

Keal, who had been pondering that very smell, just put the facts together in his head. "It's the smoke we saw from outside the town," he concluded. "We're getting closer to the source of it." He hurried down the street until he reached the source of the smoke; ruins of a house that had been completely and utterly burnt to the ground. Yangus cringed at seeing it. Keal guessed that Yangus was most likely thinking the same thing he was; this was probably all that remained of Rylus' home . Evidence to the point were magical objects like potion bottles, a broken wizard's staff, and an old book cover with a strange title but only dust for pages lying in ashes. An old man leaned on a wooden stick to the side of the ruins. His eyes focused morosely on Keal and Yangus. "This is the second time I've lost a friend to fire," muttered the elder. "It was horrible the first time, the flames engulfed more than just the house, it spread outwards...this fire though only burned his home," the old man slit his eyes as if in thought. "Lucky I guess, for the inn next door. And it happened so quickly too...nobody noticed the house was gone until morning...Nobody knew how long he had laid, burning."

Both Keal and Yangus tried to get another word from the man, but he had fallen into silence. The two continued to wander around Farebury, Keal asking a few people about Rylus. The townsfolk waved him away or refused to talk about the magician. Keal and Yangus were harassed only once by a guard who stopped to warn that he was keeping a close eye on them for being too suspicious-looking. Keal couldn't help but feel a little offended. Sure, his jacket was old and filled with some holes (from Munchie, he would say, but the mouse never nibbled on his clothing, the holes were completely Keal's fault), but it still looked nice. He wore a blue tunic and grey pants with leather boots, nothing out of the ordinary to cause suspicion. And his sword was allowed, everyone in this day and time of the world could carry a weapon for self-defense. Maybe the red bandanna on his head was standoffish, though Keal had never known head-ware to raise such an odd thought. That's when Keal realized that the guard was only talking about Yangus and completely disregarding him. But with a good glower Yangus had the guard leave quicker than he should have. When the sky held only a little bit of purplish light left, Keal and Yangus reached the upper level of Farebury and finally found the bar.

Lively music from a piano and a cheerful bunny-girl filtered through the pub as barmaids in short skirts flitted about filling up customers' mugs. The bar wasn't filled to the brim with people, but there was enough to create the atmosphere of a large crowd. Keal's face scrunched up; the smell of too much ale made his head hurt. A waitress stopped to watch Keal and smiled pitingly. At the same time Munchie poked his head out to see the bar then looked up at the sickening Keal. The mouse made a sneeze and dove deeper into the pocket.

Yangus took in the bar scene with no problem. He launched the start of the search for the information they needed. "So we're 'ere to find some Rylus geezer, right? Leave it to me!" Then Yangus saw Keal's face. He waved his hand high in front of the nearing Trode-green Keal. "Guv, ya feelin' awright?"

"I just need to sit down," mumbled Keal, and he headed towards the first empty seat he saw which was near the main bar. Yangus followed after him. The barkeeper on the other side of the counter paid no attention to Keal or Yangus.

"Haven't you had enough Mr. Kalderasha, sir?" The barman said to another man sitting a little ways from Keal and Yangus. "I'm sorry but I've got a business to run. This, er, haphazard fortune-telling of yours is costing me a fortune in free drinks!" Keal, even in his dizzied state, saw the man who the barkeeper was talking to. The man was dressed in an orange and red costume and had what looked to be a full afro-like head of black hair. Four or maybe five empty bottles sat in front of his flushed red face.

"WHAT!?" the black-haired man roared unexpectedly, he had been completely quiet when Keal had sat down. He pounded a fist down on the counter in indignation. "My fortune-telling...HAPHAZARD!? Are you a complete fool?" The man, Kalderasha, began mumbling furiously, "Let me tell you something for free. All fortune telling is haphazard! What do you expect?" Then Kalderasha went into a mumbling possibly drunken monologue. "Anyway, so what if I saw it? So what if I foretold the fire? If I'd tried to stop it, then what?! It would only have led to another disaster, that's what!"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kalderasha, sir?" said the barkeeper nervously, "I don't follow. If you're saying you knew about the fire, shouldn't you at least have warned Master Rylus before -" Kalderasha broke into the barkeeper's words. "Yes...Poor Rylus...How many times I argued with the old man..I cannot believe he is gone..."Kalderasha reached for a half-empty bottle and began swallowing it all down.

"Did you 'ear that?" Yangus turned to Keal. Keal hadn't been able to hear some parts of the conversation but Yangus on the other hand seemed to have heard the whole thing. Keal had picked up the word Rylus and the last one Kalderasha had spoken. His lightheadedness was now joined with a companion called despair.

"Those blokes was talkin' about Rylus bein' gone." Yangus put a hand to his stubby bearded chin. "That one wiv the long 'air looks a bit shady, eh? Let's go an' see wot else 'e has to say about our man. I don't think fortune tellers charge ya just for a chat."

"Okay," answered Keal weakly. He stood up and, with Yangus standing at his back, was soon face to face with the fortune-teller.

"What!?" shouted Kalderasha, slamming his bottle down. "What is it? Hmm...YOU!" Kalderasha pushed himself out of his chair and looked at Keal in (yup, drunken) wonderment. He advanced closer to the bewildered Keal. Keal backed up, freaked beyond all freakiness at the fortune-teller's behavior. His lightheadedness was worse than ever and he felt like he was going to perform the second-most popular bar tricks known to bars: show what was digesting in his tummy.

"Come, show your face to the Great Kalderasha! Yes! Yeesss!" Kalderasha kept advancing on Keal until the bar door was thrown open in a loud bang.

"Quick, quick! Everyone come quick! There's a monster in town!" shouted a boy who was far too young to be entering a bar. Sudden murmurs and whispers of excitment passed through the bar and someone shouted "What are ye rattlin' about?" "Just come and see the whole town's gone crazy in the main square!" said the boy shrilly then he ran off. More than half of the bar's customers stormed out after him.

Yangus watched the crowd leave, alarm written all over his face. "This don't sound good. I wonder if that monster 'e was talkin' about is..." The color drained from Yangus' face. "Anyway let's go an' see for ourselves!" Yangus grabbed Keal by the back of his jacket and dragged him away from Kalderasha into the open air outside the bar. Keal took a large grateful gulp of air and ran off, faster than Yangus could, towards the court, specifically the one where he had left Trode and Medea.

-----------------------------------------------

Yangus caught up with Keal. Guv was frozen where he stood looking at the huge, ear-deafening mob that filled the entire court. "Wot the...?!" Yangus gasped. Keal looked down at him at the sound of his cockney accent. Yangus couldn't believe that Keal was only standing there, doing nothing. "This ain't good, guv! Come on!" he prompted. "Look lively!" Yangus hurled himself through the mob to make way for himself and guv.

There were loud complaints issuing from the people being shoved, but Yangus quieted them with an elbow to their face. Near the front of the mob after others had been pushed behind, Yangus could hear clear insults and curses.

"Ugh! Look at it, it's so ugly!" cried a middle aged woman clutching a child to her skirt. "Ew! It looked at me! IT looked at ME!" screamed one man in near hysterics. "It's hideous," spat a tiny old woman near a large, muscle-bounded man who yelled, "GET OUT! You're not welcome here, you monster!" The man began a chat and soon others joined in and began chanting "Get out! Get out! Get out!"

Yangus could remember similar experiences to this and wasn't too peeved at all the noise. But poor Trode, standing helpless in front of Medea, was new to the whole thing. New to the whole being mobbed at by monster-hating townspeople thing. He looked miserable, but it grew even more so as the rock throwing began. "Keep movin', guv!" shouted Yangus as he kept an eye on Trode. Trode was huddled to the ground to avoid the worst of the rocks being pelted down on him. He cried out in pain at every little rock that hit his body. _'Wot a baby,'_ thought Yangus, but he pushed even harder to reach the poor troll-like Trode.

"Ow, OWCH, oh that was right in the...OH! Stop it, please, stop it before you hit AH! That's it I'm going to OOH, ARGHH," whined Trode. Yangus could tell Trode was almost at the point of screaming, and Yangus was about to shout back to the guv when the crowd suddenly quieted down. Rocks fell out of people's hands and landed on the ground with barely a 'thunk'.

"Holy Goddess..." mumbled Yangus.

Shielding Trode from the mob's sight stood the white-coated Medea. The people could feel that the mare in front of them was no ordinary horse. Medea stood firmly in front of Trode with a valiant look on her face that couldn't ever be matched by any other creature. But the mob's cries only stopped for a short second, soon they began screaming and yelling again, but less forcefully, as if still in awe of the horse. Then guv took Medea's reins and pulled her away from the crowd. "Excuse us, but we're leaving," Keal said calmly as he led her through the lessening cries.

Yangus was taken back. How had guv gotten ahead of him? Last he remembered Keal had been shoving through the crush alongside him. When had he slipped up front? Yangus didn't linger on the thought, he quickly shoved the remaining people in his way, grabbed Trode and followed guv out of there.

"And don't come back, monster! We don't tolerate the likes of you!" came the final shout from the mob .Yangus heard it echo in the town's walls as he and guv got Trode and Medea safely out of Farebury through the same gate they had entered through an hour earlier. The moon was high in the sky and owls could be heard in the distance, along with the sound of more dangerous beasts. Keal lead Medea onto the soft grass as Yangus roughly dropped Trode off onto the dirt path. "Are you hurt anywhere, King Trode?" Keal asked.

"Well, that was a fine reception!" yelled Trode over guv's concerned question, stomping a foot on the ground in anger. "Don't they realise who I am?!" Trode stomped more furiously. "Hmph! Judging a book by its cover! Don't they know it's what's inside that counts?!"

Yangus couldn't help but add his own bit into there. What Trode had said hit close to home, even though Yangus didn't like books much. "Yeah! You can say that again!" he said huskily.

Trode calmed down enough to address Keal. "So then," he said, still somewhat fuming, "did you manage to find Master Rylus?"

Keal replied slowly, "Yes, sort of...we didn't actually find him, so really no," He inhaled deeply then let it out. "We found out that Rylus is...dead." _'Couldn't 'ave worded it better meself,'_ thought Yangus as Trode took the news in.

"What!?" exclaimed Trode. "He's dead! Oh, no, no, no..." He began to pace and walked a little down the dirt path. Yangus thought Trode was distraught beyond any further words. Holding a respectful-like silence, Yangus imagined. "Well.." said Trode quickly speaking again. "I suppose there's no point crying over spilt milk..." '_People ain't milk, grandad.'_ Trode's quick choice in words quickly lowered Yangus' opinion of the green man.

"It's Dhoulmagus we're after!" Trode continued "He's the reason why Medea and I were so unfairly loathed by that unruly mob! Of course I had hoped Rylus might be able to help us locate him. But it seems we'll just have to track Dhoulmagus down by ourselves." Trode began heading towards the carriage. "With Rylus gone, we have nothing further to gain from staying here. Let's be on our way!"

A soft voice with a small accent hurriedly followed after Trode. "Wait! Please, wait." A girl, no older than 18, emerged from where she had been waiting near the town's bridge. She had soft light brown hair and watery deep blue eyes. She showed no hesitation in her manner. "I'm sorry to come running after you like this," she apologized. "It's just that...I wanted to ask you a favour."

Yangus looked first at Keal. Keal shrugged. Guv shrugging...Yangus would have to try and figure out what that was suppose to mean for later. Second he looked at the girl before lastly fixing his eyes on Trode. Trode raised his hand and spoke in the kind voice he reserved for the horse princess. "Are you not afraid of me, young lady?"

The girl shook her head. "I dreamt about you... I dreamt that some people came to town with a strange creature," she went on. "It was...sort of halfway between a human and a monster...And I dreamt that they could make wishes come true."

Yangus couldn't stop himself. He giggled like a ninny with a hand to his mouth. _'A girl...dreamin' about the likes of me and granda! That's a good one!'_

Trode took the news in cold shock. "A strange creature!?" he repeated. "Are you referring to me?"

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to be rude!" the girl held her hands to her face in embarrassment.

With Keal clearing his throat uncomfortably and Trode recovering from the insult to his pride, Yangus stopped laughing. Yangus took the hand he had used to cover his giggling and raised it to scratch an itch inside his nose. Trode gave a small chuckle. "Heh, not to worry. I've had worst things said to me today!"

Yangus could feel some of those word directed at him. He kept twisting his finger in his nose as he always did when conversations turned weird.

"You know, you remind me of my Medea," said Trode with a sad smile. "You're about the same age." He got back to the point, "Anyway, you say you had a dream about me? Most peculiar..."

"I'm sorry... I haven't even introduced myself. I'm Valentina, daughter of the great fortune-teller, Kalderasha." Valentina gave a small smile.

"You can may call me Ki- No, just Trode is fine. This here is Keal, the horse is Me- I mean," Trode tried to recover from that slip. He decided to finish with, "And this fat man here beside me is... Yangus." Trode said the name like it was diseased-ridden. Yangus didn't feel much of a blow though, lots of people liked saying his name like that.

"If you could just come to my house, Keal, Yangus, I'll explain my dream there," said Valentina, turning back to the town gate. "It's by the well, at the far end of town. Come quickly before my father gets home. I'll be waiting for you!" She ran back through the partially opened gate.

"Wot was she rabbitin' on about? Come round my 'ouse she says..." mused Yangus, taking his index finger out of his nostril. He couldn't make much of this situation and guv didn't seem to have anything to say about it either.

Trode, alternatively certainly had a lot to express about the scene. "Magnificent!" he shouted happily surprising both Yangus and Keal. Trode faced Keal and spoke faster than he had ever before. "She wasn't afraid to look at me at all! Not one bit! Ah, she reminds me of my Medea! We must give this young girl a helping hand! Right then, Keal my boy! Go and find the house by the well and see what it is she wants!"

Keal stared at Trode in what Yangus guessed to be a tired and surprised anxiety. "But what about you and Medea...and doesn't that girl seem sort of-"

" Hm?" Trode was still in his magnificent-ing mood. "Me? I'll wait here with the Princess. We don't want to cause any more of a stir." At that last sentence the good mood disappeared somewhat. Trode walked, hunched over, to Medea and put a hand on her side. "Now go find that kind girl and help her with what she wants."

_'Oy, no way. It's midnight and I'm tired and I ain't gonna go look for some bird who wants me to go grant 'er a wish! Do I look like some magical jenie?'_

"Okay, King Trode," said Keal, resigned. He looked towards Yangus. "Coming with me?" "O course, guv," answered Yangus promptly, forgetting his complaints and also resigning himself. So with Trode waving a sleepy hand behind them, Yangus followed guv back into the town to find the fortune-teller's daughter. _'And grant 'er a wish or whatever it is she wants.'_

--------------------------------------------------------------

Keal reached for the knob of the two-storied house that was in far northern tip of town nearest the well. Keal and Yangus had trouble finding the house just on Valentina's description. It had the same structure and look as all the other houses by it. But it was unlike the other houses in the way that the fortune-teller Kalderasha lived there. The Kalderasha who earlier appeared to be a bit too deep in the bottle for Keal's liking. Before Keal could twist the door's handle and enter, Yangus tapped him on the shoulder.

"I'm gonna wait out 'ere, guv," said Yangus leaning against the well. "If that Callarasher bloke comes back then 'e won't be too freaked by me bein' in there...if ya catch me drift." Keal understood. Any father would be freaked out finding a guy talking to their daughter at night. Any father would be beyond the edge of the netherworld finding the image of Yangus talking to their daughter at night. That would lead to another mob fiasco, almost certainly. "I'll be back out soon then," said Keal with a nod then he walked in the lightly lit house.

Instantly the houe lost it's ordinary feel.The front room was decorated with thick purple curtains, draperies, and rugs. Along the walls hung strange masks and other magical items Keal knew nothing about (he only had two spells down after all). Centered in the middle of the room was a circular table with a mauve cloth draped over it. On the table sat a large clear ball and an assortment of tarot cards. In the chair behind the table sat the sleeping Valentina.

She awoke seconds after Keal had just noticed her. "Ah! You came! I'm so sorry! I, I must have drifted off. How rude of me!" Valentina straightened her clothes but didn't get out of her chair. She dived into conversation before Keal could let a squeak out. "I wanted to ask you a favour about this crystal ball...oh...Sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself. Perhaps I should start at the beginning?" Valentina paused long enough for Keal to nod his head and say 'Yes, please,' politely. "Of course, let me explain," Valentina divulged Keal the predicament. "My father, Kalderasha, was once a really famous fortune teller. Lost treasure, missing people, there was nothing the Great Kalderasha couldn't help people with. Hundreds flocked to him from everywhere to have their futures read. But then, one day he lost his powers. All of a sudden, nothing he foretold turned out to be true any more. It's probably because he stopped using a real crystal ball." Valentina reached out, lightly touching the ball on the table. "This glass ball isn't - "

The door burst open right at that moment and in the doorway stood the once great fortune-teller himself. "Valentina! What is going on here!?" Kalderasha strode into the room. He addressed his daughter curtly and with little warmth. "How many times have I told you not to touch my crystal ball?" Kalderasha then turned on Keal. "You?! Aren't you that boy from the pub?!"

"Yes, I was there to-" but Keal wasn't given the chance to finish.

"What brings you here?" demanded Kalderasha. And before Keal could answer that Kalderasha threw up his hands. "Gah, never mind! I do not know what my daughter has asked you, but you can forget it! I do not need your help! I am fine as I am."

_'So,'_ Keal concluded, _'Valentina has had other dreams about others granting her wishes before us?'_ That took a little of the mystique out of the encounter. Keal wouldn't tell Trode though and ruin the fun for him.

"I am going to bed," Kalderasha announced, already at the stairs. He began ascending the steps, but he gave one last sharp look at his daughter. "Valentina!" he ordered. "Say your farewells and show our young visitor to the door." Then Kalderasha slammed a door behind him.

"I'm so sorry about my father," Valentina looked down during her apology. "But whatever he says, he's the one really suffering since he lost his powers. That's why I wanted to ask you this favour." Valentina lifted her eyes to Keal's and put her hands together earnestly. "Can you find him a crystal ball? One that's big enough to bring back his powers?"

"Er...what?" asked Keal stunned from such a forward and vague request.

"In my dream, you and your creature-friend traveled to the cave under the waterfall to the south of town," explained Valentina. "That's where a true crystal ball is. Please, will you go there for me and help me aid my father in bringing his powers back?"

Keal knew no other kind-heartered person could say no to such a plea. Yet again, no smart person would actually agree to such a crazy request. But Keal knew what Trode had said so he replied with a simple, "Yes."

Valentina smiled at him, elated. "Oh how wonderful! So far everything's come true! Thank-you so much for-" but Keal was already out the door at that time, joining Yangus beside the well.

"We know wot we gotta do now. Better report back to the old codger then, eh?" said Yangus after Keal explained what Valentina wanted. "Mind you," at this Yangus gave out a long yawn, "I'm pretty knackered. I thought givin' up the old bandithood would mean I could keep more silverised hours! But life on the straight road don't seem no better in that area."

"True," replied Keal, just as tired as Yangus. In his mind Keal probed Trode back a smidge. "Let's go to the inn we saw earlier. Fifty-four gold pieces is more than enough for two beds." Keal took a fist-sized tan sack out of his pocket to be sure of the coins within. He placed the money-sack back in his larger bag and walked off, Yangus, without a word, trailing a little ways behind him.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AFTERWORD: (pant...pant...pants...pant) THE END!...of the first chapter. Long-little-doozy, huh? For an imcompe-tent writer like me and for being composed all within one awake mema, I'd say I'd done only half as bad as I had knew I would do. From five in the afternoon till nearly two am in the morning. Breaks in-between of course. Short breaks. I'm a slow writer. REALLY slow writer. Not much of proofreader though, but I double checked this at least two times over so if there's a grammar mistake...it's Munchie's fault. This chapter is a lot longer than I had planned. The beginning bit with all the character intro was a bit too long, but...eh, I was too tired to delete some of it. Anyone kind enough to send reviews or writing tips please do so, but I suspect I shall get few. Being my fanfic.(sigh) I need to end on a positive note so...now, for every chapter at the end there will be a funny. An attempted funny. So...you know, you could review the funny instead of the story. Just a suggesst, though tips would be welcome with open arms. Oh, and as you can tell, I HAD TROUBLE ADDING KEAL IN THERE, freakin' mute. When I feel like I'll do a little character profile thing for him... But hey, first chapter, remember? Go easy on me, I have a weak bone structure. ANYWAYS, here's the funny outta the first part of the chapter. They'll always have weird names and have something to do with the chapter, nothing to do with the story.

_--------The Guard's True Terror! And Horror! And, Horror pronounced in that funny accent, 'Orror!  
_(in castle blankedty, the guard stands amidst the terror of the vine-y thorns) Guardsman: HOLY HOLLY...the castle...the castle...it's been transmaformed into a botany exhibit! AHHHHH! The 'orror! The 'orro! And I don't even have a green thumb!..But look at how strong these vines are though, the greenhouse people are gonna be happy they were killed by healthy plants like this. Oh, and look at this flower bloomin' out of this dead guy's mouth. it's so purdy! Ah, I mean...AHHHHHHHH! THE PLANTS, THE PLANTS ARE EVIL! I must flee from here! (jumps off balcony) AHHHHHH( weeeee)HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHg. (lands on vine) Oh, lucky duckies, this vine here broke my fall. (tries to get up, loud bone-hurting snap) Oh, nevermind. My spine broke my fall..mmmmmg...That's gonna make it pretty hard to get up.

AND that's the first funny (lame). My goal is to always make one person at least THINK OF LAUGHING in a chapter of whatever I write. At least one person, at least one thought laugh. That's what I aim for. ANYWAYS, thanks for reading this, anybody reading this. Expect chapter two to be shorter (don't worry, I'll force-short-it and try to improve as much as I can) and up by next weekend. Even if I only get one viewer, I'll still continue it, I love Dragon Quest 8 too much and Yangus' accent to quit so soon anyways. So byes for now. (oh, and in case you were wondering the g at the end of the scream, AHHHHHHHg, stands for grapes, I like grapes.) Okay, now byes.


	3. To the Waterfall Cavern

"To the Waterfall Cavern"

I do not own Dragon Quest 8: Journey of the Cursed King. It'd be pretty hard to own it fully wouldn't it? I mean, you'd have to get a cage to put the graphic programmers to work in, have to lock some writers in the attic (cuz writing is best when it's done in smelly, cramped conditions), somehow track down Mr.DragonBall manga artist then force him to draw the original characters, find Mr. Horii and defeat his slime form, and collect all the voice actors and treat them to tea and crumpets (oh and this has always confused me, what are crumpets? You'd have to them, whatever they are, cuz about all the Dragon Quest 8 voice actors are from Britain, and aren't crumpets the national food there? Crumply biscuits mayhap?). ANYWAYS,(hangs head in shame) when my jokes get as lame as this intro please inform me of such so I'll shut up. (sigh) It's hard to do a DragonQuest fanfic in good humors, I'm too nervous over messing it up. But since there are hardly in DragonQuest fanfic REVIEWERS (coughs spastically) I guess I won't ever know if I mess up or not cuz no one will tell me. Must somehow spread Dragon Quest fandom... ANYWAYS, guess who's late for the update but still in the chapter's gate? That's right it's the nearly shrink-le-pinked DragonQuester. High fives, everybody! Like the saying goes, for every high-five you give, there's a teenage not cutting the widdle artery in their wrist with a shiv (seriously, give me a high-five, you'll save may friends' lives). ANYWAYS, hope all nineteen or less of you enjoyed chapter one. Or at least attempted to read it but found it impossible because of me poor writing skill ( I noticed someone else put a similar abridgment of DragonQuest up... I'M OUTTA THE BUSINESS BEFORE I EVEN GET STARTED! Sob). Well, as long as the first chapter got hits (100, random note: 58 hits for intro chapter, minus 16 of that for first story chapter. I scared sixteen people with my into? Wow, I don't know whether to feel proud or ashamed). ANYWAYS, sorry this chapter is late, but I had to deal with school exams for two weeks. AND I GOT HAPPY NEWS! 96 ON MY PRE-AP BIO EXAM! FREAKING SCORE BANANAS! And I didn't even study for that test! I was resigned to fail it! By the pure luck of the German/Native American/maybe a little French blood in me I got an A on that exam. YAY! Wasn't it worth waiting three or four or five or six weeks for this chapter just to see the happiness of a little girl's accomplishment? Oh, I guess I could have finished this chapter during the weekends, but I was too busy being depressed over my LA exam grade... and my math and geography exam grades (don't, freaking, ask). And not to mention, exams didn't slow down the workload any. Then I gots sick AGAIN cuz the weather in this certain state I am living in is HORRIBLE. Allergies, IN EVERY SINGLE SEASON. What the heck am I allergic to? Oxygen? I don't even want to know anymore... So I squeezed in this chapter during the school and sickness weeks (which will explain it's horridness and since I couldn't access my game all the time, some parts are from memory). ANYWAYS, can't waste anymore ramblings, here's chapter two, for anyone reading this, "To the Waterfall Cavern." (Can't help but wonder how the number of hits will fall in this chapter... Urgh, I think I smell some O2... AACHOOOO)

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

When Keal shook Yangus awake, the sun was nothing more than a partially hidden peak to the eastern horizon. A few short minutes later Yangus and Keal left the inn. They walked quietly through the street leading to the smaller of the Farebury's two main gates. After forcing the door open and stepping outside, Keal ran over to where a carriage stood by the dirt road.

Yangus followed after him, drowsy from the little sleep he had gotten; but he was forcing himself awake by pulling hard on his right-side chubby cheek. It was a trick he'd learned from a friend. Apparently the tortured cheek would snap the nerves in the face to jolt into awareness, and since the nerves in the face were close to the brain, it'd wake the brain up, and then since the brain was awake, it would tell the rest of the body through those same nerves to wake up too or suffer more pinching, cheeky pain. Or something like that. It was a very complicated process Yangus didn't really understand. The explanation could get very science-spific. Nevertheless, he kept tugging on his right cheek as he reached Trode's carriage.

The lovely white mare slept alongside the wagon. Unlike most horses who slept standing up, the mare was lying down with her face in the dewy grass. The mare would have looked peaceful, if it wasn't for her legs which were stretched out in weird angles, each leg in a different direction. When she heard Keal and Yangus' footsteps approaching she got up clumsily. Then with a loud whinny Medea awakened the sleeping green troll in the back of the carriage.

"Mmmmfp, graahh, ackk," groaned Trode in what sounded like some grunting language of green, little monsters. He popped his head out of the carriage's white canvas. With only a few puny hairs on his head and misshapen, not-so-pretty teeth, Trode looked like the type of creature that a person would scream desperately at, then go on to beat with a broom or some other damage-inflicting household item. Yangus could nearly qualify for the same, but he still didn't have quite a 'fondness' for the green little man. Trode, though, was the guv's boss and since Yangus listened to the guv that meant he had to put up with Trode. No matter if he wanted to or not.

Keal dropped a bag into the carriage in front of Trode. He smiled before greeting cheerfully, "Good morning, King Trode. I got you-"

"Where were you the other night?! I waited out here until midnight to hear back from you. Just what were you doing at that girl's place, hmm? Anything immoral and I will have to reprimand you! Worse goes for you, Yangus!" Trode glared at Yangus with all the force a three-foot tall man could before going on, "Did you even find out what I sent you for? I bet not! How could I believe I could rely on a lowly soldier and...and ...Yangus?!" Trode spat out the last word of his early morning rage. He sighed before falling down to sit on his rump.

"Hey, be careful bout wot ya say to the guv," warned Yangus. Trode's royally annoying outbursts were the main reason Yangus didn't like being around him. Yangus and Keal had spent a good potion of the night looking for Valentina's house, then waiting for Valentina to tell Keal her woeful plea. Keal and Yangus had been tired by the end of that little expenditure; they had deserved to get some rest before reporting back to Trode.

"I'm sorry, King Trode, we should have returned immediately after seeing Valentina," said Keal while throwing a cautionary glance at Yangus. "The inn was right there, and I figured we could give you a better report in the morning." Keal patted the bag in front of him. "And..." Keal opened the bag, "you must be hungry after what happened yesterday." No doubt Keal was referring to the mob that had chased Trode out of town. "So, to make it up to you, King Trode, here's some food I got from the inn." The bag was filled to the brim with buttered bread, steaming bacon, and hard-boiled eggs, and on top of the food was a cask of orange juice. "I know it's not much," said Keal as he pushed the aromatic bag of breakfast delicacies forward, "but this is all I could grab."

Yangus drooled at the marvelous sight. At the inn he had eaten his fair share of food. In fact he had been so into his own meal, Yangus hadn't bothered to see what the guv was eating. He remembered Keal grabbing some cheese and inspecting the remaining food. _'Wait... the guv was savin' 'is food fer grandad?!'_ Yangus was astounded at the guv's showing of such personal sacrifice.

Trode stared at the breakfast in front of him. "Well," he said as he picked up a hard-boiled egg, "it's not my favourite, but it will do. Good work on getting this much out! Very proud of you. I look forward to more in the upcoming days." And without an apology for his earlier outburst, Trode tucked a napkin into the front of his shirt and began eating.

As Trode ate and Medea grazed, Keal explained Valentina's request. Yangus didn't bother adding anything. Keal nailed down the whole story in a quick summary.

Trode had almost finished eating at the same time Keal had stopped talking. Chewing on the last bit of food Trode appeared to be thinking of a thoughtful response. "Hmmm... I see..." Trode swallowed his food then looked straight at Keal with wide excited eyes as he exclaimed, "MAGNIFICENT!" The lone, loud word scattered a few birds nearby and caused Medea to look up with a start.

Keal took a step back at the outburst. A little worried expression on his face. When Trode got excited he expressed himself very, very enthusiastically. Yangus just picked at his nose. He figured Trode was going to do that. Trode had done the same thing the other night after seeing Valentina. At first Yangus had thought Trode was some pervert who enjoyed looking at young girls. Really, Yangus had come to realise, Trode was just too energetic when it came to a topic of interest that mostly concerned or was somehow related to him.

"Such devotion to her father! I'm impressed! Just how a daughter should be!" Trode's eyes sparkled. Valentina's plight clearly touched him deeply. A bit too deeply. "And if this Kalderasha gets his powers back," Trode's voice suddenly took on a plotting tone, "there's nothing he can't find, am I right?" Trode hopped out of the back of the carriage and stood in front of Keal and Yangus. "Then we'll kill two birds with one stone! If everything goes according to plan, we'll find out where that hateful Dhoulmagus is."

"Huh, I never thought of that," said Keal. Yangus could tell the guv was a bit unnerved at the mention of Dhoulmagus, the magician Trode was after. Dhoulmagus's name even made Yangus feel a bit uncomfortable.

Trode gave a short laugh. "That's why you have me, my boy! Now you go back into Farebury and get some supplies. Medea and I will meet you at the southern gate." As Trode spoke Medea came back and let Trode attach her to the wagon. Trode hopped into the driver's seat. "Don't take too long!" said Trode as he lead Medea off the path to the opposite gate.

Keal stared after Trode and Medea. Yangus interrupted whatever silent thoughts the guv was thinking. "The old codger told us wot we 'ad to do. Let's get goin'!" Keal blinked. "Oh, right. Sorry, I'm still sort of tired... Guess I'm just use to getting more sleep." The sun was almost showing its whole self. Any fading darkness was being drowned out by the morning rays. Keal and Yangus went back to Farebury's gate and entered into the mid-morning crowd.

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Keal fingered the bag that held his money. Just the price of the inn and breakfast already had him down to forty-five coins. He looked at the weapon dealer's shop not far from where he stood near a herb stall. _'I could just go in to _look_ around at the swords...'_Then Keal looked back at the price of medicinal herbs. A bundle of four herbs cost thirty-two pieces. "That much for just four? It's just a bunch of leaves in a sack..."

"Are you going to buy or not?" asked the dark-skinned man standing behind the stall.

"How about twenty pieces. That's only eight pieces short"

"You mean twelve," corrected the merchant.

"Twenty-two"

"Thirty-two."

"Twenty-four"

"Thirty-two."

Keal felt overwhelmed. First time he held more money than he ever had before, and he was spending it on leaves. Of course, if only he had stronger magic he wouldn't even need the leaves. It was pretty sad when a healing spell could be showed up by a pack of scraggly leaves. Medicinal LEAVES. What type of shrubbery grows medicinal leaves? And who was the first entrepreneur who thought it'd be a swell idea to sell it for 8 gold pieces then shove it in a bag and say 'Ya want some **leavvvves**?' Keal felt himself almost go leaf crazy thinking about his further bartering. He had never bartered before, which was quite obvious to the merchant. "How about...just thirty for the leaves?" Keal figured that at least two gold pieces saved was better than none.

"Thirty...two."

Keal gave up. "Fine, you win," he sighed. He handed over thirty-two gold coins exactly. The merchant gave him exactly four bundles of the leaves: medicinal healing leaves that could be used to quickly replenish one's energy level when eaten and, when pressed onto the skin, could heal small injuries. These leaves were a necessity to travelers on the go. But the leaves still didn't look all that impressive to Keal.

Keal put the valued leaves in the bag latched to his belt. He sighed heavily as he looked at the thirteen remaining gold coins he held. Though he never thought himself as the type who'd worry about money, Keal had the sad image of himself begging desperately for spare change with a little dented cup on a street corner. But that wouldn't be enough, he'd probably have to put on some sort of little show to entertain any would-be charitable persons. Maybe juggle Munchie for money. But would the mouse be willing to go through such torture? Even a mouse has to draw the line somewhere in pet exposure. Keal finally put the coins up and tried to end the horribly depressing thoughts in his head. He had a mission to fulfill and no amount of poverty could stop him.

Keal felt himself being thumped on the back, hard. Yangus had come back from wherever he had run off to earlier. "Cheer up, guv," he grinned. In his right hand he had a large caramel apple on a stick. The apple must have been a beautiful red before it had been bathed in a ridiculous amount of sticky caramel. "Things arn't always as bad as ya think they are. Take it from me." Yangus munched on the candied fruit as he kept talking. "You'll learn all about the stuffs o' the world sooner or later. Some'ow"

"Thanks, Yangus, but..." Keal tried to dodge the flying bits of caramel coming out of Yangus' mouth. He moved his head uncomfortably to the side to avoid the worst of it as he asked the all important question of questions, "Where'd you get the candy from?" Keal remembered that Yangus had added his amount of money to Keal's. Had the bandit not kept his word and hidden some coins? Keal wouldn't believe it.

Yangus went into his explanation with another large bite of the fruity sweet. "There was this stall that was bein' shut down so I went over to 'ave a look. It was closin' cos the owner 'ad somethin' called the 'play-guh' or wotever. I tried to get more outta the bloke, but 'e didn't say much. Looked sorta sick-like to me. Anyways, I asked if I could 'ave one o' the apples since the stall wasn't sellin' 'em and they'd just go to waste, an' 'e said 'awright' so I took one." Yangus chewed on a piece of apple thoughtfully. "I don't see nuffin' wrong with it, it's good. The taste can be a little funny thou'. I wonder why the stall was r'elly closed down. Sorry I didn't get ya one, guv, but I didn't want to int'rude on the bloke. An' ya don't 'ave much o' sweet tooth do ya? "

Keal couldn't help but twitch nervously. "Yangus, maybe you should stop eating that. The plague is know to have.." But he was a few seconds too late.

Yangus licked the last pieces of caramel off the thin stick it had been stabbed upon. Tossing the stick away into a bush he looked towards Keal, confused. "Eh?"

Shaking his head Keal decided to distract the topic off of the plagued apple Yangus had devoured. "Forget I said anything." If anyone could survive eating an apple like that, Yangus could. Keal reached inside his bag and pulled out a small piece of cheese (while watching Yangus eat wasn't an exceptionally appetizing experience, it had reminded him that he had eaten only a small breakfast). While he chewed his snack, he looked around Farebury's main court. "It's really crowded. Do you think the yearly fair's today?"

Farebury was packed with the movement of the crowd squeezing in and out of the main square. All the shops on the town's upper level had their doors wide open to spare the rush of customers of yanking the doors open themselves. The stairway leading to the square was a squabble of shouts and laughter going up to the shops or down into the stalls. Along with the familiar smell of candy apple, a multitude of fresh foods were wafting in the air. The stalls were set in a semi-circle in the square with smaller ones in the middle; their multi-colored cloth roofs jostling together in the wind. Keal and Yangus stood near the medicine stand along one of the town's walls. They were actually close to the very spot where King Trode had been pelted with stones from angry townspeople just a day before. Keal heard someone approaching them.

"You don't know what we're celebrating? It's not the spring fair, not at all. This one's too small to measure to the grandness of that event!" A nearby blonde man in a green tunic stopped in front of Keal. He had overheard Keal's question. "You must have got wind of it, the monster that attacked us but was run off by the town uniting as one!" the blonde man talked excitedly while Keal kept chewing on his cheese. "Everyone has the story memorized! It spread around the town in one night"

"Yes, it was so scary the other night. I was terrified," spoke a light haired young woman on the man's side. A covered wicker basket hung from her arm. She smiled at Keal. When she looked at Yangus, Keal could have sworn she cringed a little but still smiled.

"Everyone in Farebury agreed that we should hold a celebration to celebrate the fact that we scared away the hideous beast. A celebration of life!" The blonde man, still all fresh caffeine jittery, spoke quietly to the two travelers. "Actually, I've heard that the monster had humans helping him get into town. TWO in fact. Just TWO. What if they're still here? I say we're still in danger. I even know their descriptions, and they're bad news for us all: A big, scary guy wearing a dead animal and a smaller guy wearing a red bandanna. They must be the servants of e-vile."

Keal finished his cheese and scratched the side of his head. His brown hair was as usual a bit disheveled . As usual, he hid most of it under his red bandanna to keep it from getting in his eyes.

"And... wait a minute..." The blonde man looked at Yangus' hairy jacket. Yangus stared back. A gulp could visibly be seen going down his throat. Then he looked at Keal. Still scratching his head, Keal nodded to confirm the man's suspicion. Then said, just for the sake of it, "What you see is what you...see."

"You're the-the-the bandana guy." How could he have missed the red bandana in the fist place? "W-w-WAHHHH!" The blonde man turned around and ran into the crowd as fast as he could without another look back; his mad speed forcing people to jump out of his way or else get trampled.

Yangus let out a short burst of laughter and thumped Keal on the back, harder than before. Keal stumbled forward from the pounding but grinned along with Yangus.

"Wow, now that's a sprint. I just hope he doesn't keep running off like that when he's with me," said the woman aloud, watching the fleeing blonde guy until he couldn't be seen or heard. She turned her gaze onto Keal and Yangus. Her smile widened, her tone suddenly brisk, "You two are thieves aren't you? You look like thieves. Only thieves would associate with monsters, right? Looking for that special key aren't you?"

Keal didn't know how to respond to her statement. "No, we're not thieves...er... I'm not a thief... He's isn't... but...no... wait, er." "Wot key?" asked Yangus interested.

"Well, it's not around anymore. Not that I would know spefically," the ginger-haired woman slid a hand into her basket then brought it out, fingers curled. "However, lookin' around the place wouldn't be a bad idea." The woman's fingers straightened out and something small fluttered down to the stone ground. She curtsied in goodbye before going off in the direction of her runaway boyfriend.

Keal put a hand over Munchie and pat him on the head. Something he usually did when he was unsure of what was happening. "We should leave soon," Keal said to himself and Munchie. "Before we get caught up in anything else." Yangus bent down to pick up the small piece of paper. He looked at carefully before handing it to Keal. "I think we should keep this, guv. You never know wot'll come in use later." Keal simply slid the paper into his bag near the four medicinal herbs inside. "Maybe even King Trode will know something about it-" began Keal before someone issued a very loud surprised gasp.

"Did you say King Trode?" asked a middle-aged man who had been passing through, but he had stopped along with most of the crowd at Keal's words. And then there was a burst of:  
"Did someone say King Trode?" "He said the King's name!"  
"First that odd clown and the monster, now the King. What's next?"  
"King Trode! Where, where, where?"  
"Trode? What a strange name for our King. I thought it was Trodan all this time!"  
"When is he coming? Is he coming, you know, the King? King Trode?" "He hasn't visited Farebury in awhile now! Do you think he's coming to collect taxes?"  
"King Trode is coming to Farebury!"

A big, burly man took Keal by the shoulders and shook him. "Do you know anything about the King? Is he comin' here? Tell me, c'mon!" questioned the smith as Keal was shook back and forth, forth and back, side to side. Before Keal could sputter out a reply, Yangus pulled Keal away from the man by grabbing the worn yellow coat and, dragging coat and all, headed towards the southern gate. "Let's get goin' to get that crystal ball, guv," Yangus puffed as he and Keal made their way out of the new mob and towards the giant double doors. "Do you think we have enough medicinal herbs?" asked Keal feebly. "Sure, sure," replied Yangus. Keal had moved his way in front of Yangus and quickly opened the gate just wide enough for himself and Yangus to slip out of Farebury unnoticed.

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Keal and Yangus had met up with King Trode and Medea on the southern bridge. King Trode had scolded Keal about how much time had been wasted. He went on to talk about how Keal should manage his time more wisely so important people wouldn't be kept sitting in place for two hours out in the sun waiting for the likes of such an untimely person to come strolling out of town. Yangus replied that a person who is kept waiting should do something to keep busy so he/she wouldn't complain so much and waste more time. King Trode didn't take that comment in well. And since that would have gone on for quite a while, Keal intervened and reminded everyone where they were suppose to be going. So Keal, Yangus, King Trode, and the mare Princess Medea took the south path and began their search for the waterfall cave. The cave that supposedly held the crystal ball that would bring back Kalderasha's powers. Powers great enough to locate Dhoulmagus. Finding the magician, Keal's life-pledged mission, ranked above all other worldly concerns. Because to King Trode, the worldly concerns should concern their powerful selves with him, and his predicament.

And after a few hours of trying to find the cave King Trode with the princess, Keal, and Yangus turned a little ways off track and finally got lost enough to realise they we're lost.

"She said 'west of town' and we went west so we should be seeing it now," declared Keal defiantly. He scanned over the thick grove of trees surrounding them as if expecting some sort of landmark. Sadly, there weren't any 'CAVE HERE' or 'THIS WAY TO VICTORY' or 'EXIT AT NEXT GRAY ROCK' signs anywhere.

"No, my boy, you're wrong. I can tell. You ran off to the NORTH! We didn't go anywhere; WE had to follow you. You were the one who sped off in, not only the opposite direction, but to the north of that opposite direction!" Trode was attempting to keep himself calm. Attempting being a futile effort.

Keal tried to sound as thoughtful as possible as he pondered his confusion. "North is north of west and east... right, Yangus?"

"Yup, north's the area where it gets colder," said Yangus distracted as he ticked a finger against his club. He was trying to be the 'oh-so-responsible' lookout for monsters.

"So I didn't go north of the opposite direction. I just went north," concluded Keal smartly. Or as smartly as possible with that sort of reply. "Or are we really north of east which would be the opposite of west where we need to go so then the opposite of that would not be south because we can't go south so in order to go into the right direction we'd need to go... south-north? King Trode? "

King Trode's head hung low as he sighed in agitation. Keal didn't know how to use a compass, at all. He apparently thought he did, but he had never held or even seen one before now. And it seems he was still adjusting to the spoken of compass rose system. "It does not matter! The waterfall cave isn't around here. We must retrace are path and hopefully reach our destination before nightfall," ordered Trode.

"Wait, King Trode, let me just try one more time!" Keal held up the compass in his right hand. He held the faded golden sheen on the cover level to his eye. The glass reflected the noon-high sun. With a deep breath Keal began to arrange the adjustments he needed in order to read the brillant, high-aloft compass perfectly.

King Trode put a hand to his forehead. '_Not this AGAIN. I'll never get anywhere having to watch over him_!' The beautiful white mare at the front of the carriage tossed her gray mane. Such coloring struck Trode as strange. A white coat holding the color of purest clouds, with a tail and mane the color of a stilled stormy sea. King Trode sighed again as he thought about poor Medea. How could gray hair such as that appear on his daughter? What troubles could she possibly have, other than being stuck in that wretched curse? He would worry about that not her. All Medea needed to do was wait. King Trode then brought his thoughts onto Keal and the compass.

Keal was aligning the compass in the best way he could; by going around in more circles. Keal was spinning frantically round and round. The compass would have been in his eye if he prodded it any further. "Wait...for the red pointer to line perfectly with the N and then... we move out!" He kept spinning faster and faster in place. Yangus's head moved around in circles to watch the spin cycle, obviously forgetting his task to look out for possible threats. Trode could see the little brown mouse clinging for dear life to Keal's yellow jacket. "And... there!" Keal stopped with a fast halt, throwing Munchie to one side of the pocket. "It's pointing to the direction almost perfectly." Keal stepped forward to show Yangus, only then to lurch sideways and nearly fall cheese-pocket first onto the ground.

"Guv! You awright?" Yangus nearly threw himself beside Keal so he could peer at his face. Yangus helped Keal stand up by grabbing his arm and yanking it up as hard as he could. "That is not the proper way to use a compass," commented Trode once Keal was back on his feet. "How else do you use it then?" asked Keal. He looked down at his compass, as if expecting it to grow a mouth and answer the question for him. King Trode then just realized he couldn't think of the answer either. It had been awhile since he had been a young striking king in the forest using a compass to map out his territory. Not too long ago, but still long ago enough to cause a few other years to pile up and allow the memory of compass-conduct to slip out of mind. Well, Trode knew that spinning like a giddy girl with an imaginary may-pole certainly couldn't be the right way.

"Let me 'ave a look at it, guv." Yangus held out a large, sweaty hand to take the priceless, gold treasured artifact. But before King Trode could argue the point that Yangus shouldn't dare lay a finger on his compass, a yowl rang out from behind them. A striped cat with a long trailing tongue hanging out of its mouth like a flag flung itself with its claws outstretched towards Yangus. Yangus quickly grabbed the club on his back and knocked the monster off it's mid-air leap. The candy cat rolled on the ground, defeated. Once the cat stopped twitching, the other monsters crawled out and rushed the group.

Medea threw her head back. King Trode tried to keep a gentle hold on the reins as Medea panicked. His grip tightened, only enough as necessary, on the reins as he shouted, "Keal! " "What? Where are the monster?" Keal's eyes darted about. He walked unevenly, still really dizzy. "To your east!" instructed Trode. Keal turned south. "No, your west!" Keal turned east. "The north, the north!" Keal turned southwest. "Just turn to the left!" Keal turned right. "This is taking longer than it should... Turn to where you hear the monsters trying to kill Yangus!"

A vile slug monster slithered to Keal. The lip pursed a pair of slimy puckers and when it reached Keal it let the lips of appalling destruction release. "Yaaah!" Keal barely had enough time to react to the lip's kiss. He ducked as his hand reached for the sword on his back. Keal took the soldier's sword in one movement then after dodging the lip's whipping tongue, he cut off the squishy lump that made up its head. The slug withered down to nothing while the head's lips kept on puckering. King Trode watched the boy's skill: not the best, but thankfully not the worst.

"Guv, look out!" Keal followed Yangus's voice to see the former bandit fighting off a pair of caspishum. Or caspishums. Or one pair of two caspishum. Or two bell-peppers speared together on a giant BBQ pole resembling shish kebabs with a face. King Trode was reminded of his dream barbeque (though, seriously he thought what on EARTH would ever create such an ugly, distasteful yet yummy-looking monster?).

Meanwhile, Yangus's warning had been of the rabbit with a cute mean looking face that had been waiting behind the bell-pepper monster. The bunnicorn saw Keal and bounced over; it's sharp spike glistening in the sunlight. Keal took his sword and met the bunnicorn halfway. The bunnicorn used its spike as a spear and with a powerful leap tried to impale Keal.

King Trode watched Keal and Yangus battle the group of monsters. More bloodthirsty bunnicorns, pervese lips, grinning caspishums, purring candy cats, and a satyr playing an annoying tooting tune on its horn waited. Medea was stamping her hooves against the earth and neighing nervously. King Trode would have to get her and himself out of there if the fight ended up taking too long. He wouldn't risk getting Medea hurt by a gang of small, low-level monsters.

Yangus had long finished the capishums and had already taken down a couple of bunnicorns and a candy cat. He took his club and tried to knock down the satyr, but the cloven monster was too fast. Yangus chased after the satyr as it bounded closer and closer towards King Trode and the wagon. Keal was still fighting the bunnicorn, but another lip had joined. When Keal saw Yangus a look of realization crossed his face. "Yangus, tag-team!" he shouted. Yangus understood immediately. With a high-five Keal and Yangus switched spots; Keal made a dive towards the satyr, and Yangus took his club and slammed it against the bunnicorn and lip at the same time. After two hacks of the soldier sword, Keal finished the satyr. "Haaa, that was easy," boasted Keal. "All those monsters and not a scratch on either of us!"

Not two seconds after Keal said that Yangus cried, "Guv, yer arm's bleedin'!" Yangus pointed at Keal's left forearm arm. His eyes were wide.

Keal shook his head. "It's not much. I can heal it, no problem." Keal reached for a medicinal herb then stopped. "Wait... we better save these if anything worse happens." He closed his bag and took a look at the injury on his left arm. It had been stabbed with the spike on the bunnicorn. The wound almost went straight through his arm. Blood was coming out of it pretty profusely. In all his younger years on the battle field King Trode had never seen such a wound induced only by a bunny. "It's not that bad. It'll stop bleeding at some point," said Keal, preppy. "Yeah, when yer dead! Just use one o' those healin' plants," insisted Yangus. "But medicinal herbs need to be used only in emergency," replied Keal, blood spurting out his arm with each syllable. "Dyin' counts as an emer'gentcy, don't it?" Yangus tried to make a grab for Keal's bag. "No, we can't waste the medicinal leaves! I'll just try to heal my arm with magic." Keal put his opposite hand around the wound. He stood there for a couple of seconds while nothing happened. "Is the magic workin'?" asked Yangus anxiously.

"Well... I feel a little better. All the colors are coming together in a really pretty blur and pictures of me as a little kid are flashing before my eyes." Keal turned his head in a dream-like state as if he was staring at pleasant scenery in his mind. His arm wasn't bleeding any less, actually it seemed to have increased in the gory blood sprouting. Munchie had crawled out of his pocket and was on sitting on Keal's head. The rodent had such a look of concern for Keal on his face, King Trode later could have sworn that he almost saw Munchie put his hands together in prayer for Keal's injured soul.

King Trode decided to put in his thoughts about the situation. He watched as Yangus kept grabbing and jerking Keal's arm as if to improve the speed of the healing spell by shaking it. "I remember Keal telling me he has a very low magic capability level. He can only cast about four spells if he's up to it." The white horse looked on, terrified. "GUUUUUV!" howled Yangus. He let go of Keal and fell to the ground.

Suddenly a weak soft glow came from Keal's hand. A green light enveloped Keal's arm and pulsated faintly before dimming. Yangus crawled back up and stared at Keal in wonderment. King Trode was taken by surprise. Good sword-play and he can heal, those attributes made Keal more useful than he first though. "Whoa, my first spell...and it worked!" Keal smiled. He flexed his left arm like a tough guy "It's like nothing ever.." the scar on his arm reopened and continued to bleed, "...happened."

It took only a few minutes for the bleeding to finally stop. Yangus had to rub at his nose a few times to hide the tears (and snot) that he had almost shown. Keal with the compass in his possession once happily again kept on leading the group. King Trode, who earlier had considered banning Keal from the compass for the rest of his life, decided to allow the boy one more chance. Medea's mood seemed to pick up, and had thus perked up Trode just a little. However there was nothing to be perky about for long. Keal had led the group even further from their destination, as far as possible and, in fact, and still be considered in the general fifty mile radius.

"Guv.. I think we feered off path somew'ere, coz I don't think the waterfall cave is anywhere around 'ere," said Yangus. Odd enough, there was something strange waiting for King Trode, Princess Medea, Keal, and Yangus at the end of the northern forest. Yangus stared blankly at the imposing sight that stood before them. "Yangus, you're probably most likely right," replied Keal. He rubbed at his freshly recovered arm. The compass had been dropped onto the grass. His eyes were completely drawn to the monster that stood before them. King Trode sighed, "Why did I dare take the cheap, shiny compass instead of the one that actually works?" Slowly, he tried to get Medea to turn the carriage around so he could run away from the horrifying sight of a monster that stood before them. Medea wouldn't move. The Axoraptor had such an influence over the others, all they could do was stare.

Yangus was the one who ultimately accepted the fearsome beast for what it was. He pointed at the monster that stood only about two Axoraptor footsteps away. "It's... it's... it's... GOSHSHILLA!" King Trode shook his head as he corrected Yangus, "No, it's pronounced 'Goddeszilla'." They were facing a giant, horrible beast. The least Yangus could do was pronounce the name correctly. "It's a really big lizard with a really big axe," squeaked Keal. The Axoraptor, with its large glistening axe about the same height of Keal and Yangus if Keal stood on Yangus's head, roared. Having to take a few steps back from the deafening outburst of noise and saliva from the Axoraptor's thundering maw of fierce roaring, Keal and Yangus tripped over each other. Keal took only seconds to stand up, grab Yangus, turn to his king and scream, "FLEE!"

The white mare got the wagon facing the right direction and fled faster than any other horse could. Keal took Medea's reins, and with one hand still on Yangus's matted coat sprinted alongside the wagon. Goshsilla, being the monster (s)he is, ran after them.

King Trode didn't even bother holding onto the reins of full-speed Medea. "This is not satisfactory, Keal! This is not satisfactory!" he shrieked. The wagon seat was throwing Trode all over the small bench. To stay on Trode had to dig his grey nails into the wooden boards of his seat.

"I'm so sorry, King Trode. I'll never misuse a compass again!" shouted Keal behind his back. He ran with a hand close to Medea's face to keep her speed up against the monster. Yangus was running on his own and kept glancing back at the monster. The Axoraptor was getting closer. "Guv, ya gotta make it through this! So just leave me be'ind! Let it eat me so you'll 'ave some time to live!" Yangus was already beginning to lessen his speed. "No more talking, everyone just keep running!" Keal took Yangus's arm again. Medea, Keal, and Yangus pumped their legs faster and faster. Axoraptor did so even faster. King Trode bonked his head against the wagon's seat and cursed most un-kingly like. Such stress and trauma should never have to be endured by royals of his ranking! Something would need to be royally sued after this. Trode's murderous planning was interrupted when a slime (that had been happily frolicking about in the field) got run over by Keal's boot and stuck there like a piece of slimey gum then began screaming bloody murder.

The hot breath of the Axoraptor could be felt behind them. King Trode looked at the back of Keal's head. "DO SOMETHING!" he demanded over the Axoraptor's excited breathing and the unfortunate slime's screaming. Yangus gave Trode the best glare he could from his vantage point beside Keal and shouted foully, "Wot can 'e do if 'e's too busy runnin' for yer stinkin' life?!"

Without a word, Keal kept a firm hand on Medea's reins. Running faster than ever, he jumped forward just enough to bring up the end of his boot. He scraped off the end of it. Keal stood up straight and ran back at normal speed. He peered at the Axoraptor closing the short distance behind him. Squeezing the still shrilly screaming slime in one hand, Keal threw the poor victim towards Goshsilla's face.

"DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" screamed the slime as he flied through the air. It was a beautiful sight, a perfect arch that Keal should have been proud of throwing. Only thing wrong was, it missed the a Axoraptor by half a yard.

"Great strategy, Keal, GREAT STRATEGY! Throw a slime at the monster. GREAT. Such a great strategy in fact, I'm going to allow the power invested in me to nominate you as Captain of the LOSERS WHO CAN'T THROW!" King Trode was growing more and more irritated by the minute as the Axoraptor kept growing more and more closer to its goal of eating all of them. Medea couldn't keep up the mad-speed anymore. The poor young mare had to be pulled by Keal to run. Keal was trying to keep everyone moving, but it was proving too much. His exhaustion was overtaking him. Yangus was completely red-faced and out of breath but he kept moving, at a much slower pace than before. Irritated King Trode had splinters where splinters shouldn't venture as the others gradually slowed their failed flight for life. Each of them could hear the Axoraptor licking its scaly green lips.

Then, with only a blink away of snapping its jaws on the first plump taste of Yangus, the Axoraptor froze in its tracks. It stood straight, frozen with fear, head turned. With one look to the waterfalls in the west, the Axoraptor let out an "Eek! Not there!" then turned its green golden tail the opposite direction and fled.

King Trode, Keal, and Yangus were speechless. In that time they were able to regain somewhat normal breathing patterns. Poor Medea's flank was soaked in sweat and her eyes were almost rolled to the back of her head. Keal took his hand off her reins and rubbed at the mare's long neck. This calmed her enough to stop her from going into shock. With a flourish Medea shook her grey mane and let out a thin neigh. _'Well,'_ thought Trode, _'the boy's good with horses too. He's not worthless at all.'_ King Trode cleared his throat. "Hm, that was certainly... certainly... an exercise." Yangus tried to wheeze out a reply, but he hadn't had enough time to take in enough air. The former bandit just nodded in King Trode's direction. Keal noticed this and gave King Trode a wide smile.

King Trode took in the scenery around them. They were on a dirt path that led onto an old wooden bridge. The bridge continued into the opening of a dark, yawning cave. Sounds of rushing water rang into the air in a constant roll. Series of waterfalls formed a large nearly endless cataract throughout the area. "I believe," mused King Trode, "that we have reached the waterfall cavern."

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

AFTERWORD: (gasp, gasp, gasp) Writing... is like a marathon. Constant motion in thought and fingers and water splashed over the face makes a good wake up (just... don't splash water on your face when your at the computer, being electrified isn't all what it's cracked up to be). Also it can feel like you're running through endless circles as your fingers start forming carpal tunnel in every little joint. (pops down some Midol) Ah, that will work. Hopefully. If not then I'll just wrap my fingers in a micro-waved mini-pad. ANYWAYS, thankkees to anyone who read this crummy crumbs chapter. Not as short as planned eh? Remember I said I'd try to shorten it? Well.. IT WAS A BALDING FACED LIE! All nineteen or twenty or ten of you readers will learn that I do that a lot. Hehehe, not really, I try to remain a little angel of truth. I just use my halo as a thing to hold my gum wrappers and coke cans in. Well, big THANKKKKKE! to Sublinal Shadow for being the first reviewer! WOOOOOT! You Trode-ally rule (ignore horrible pun)! Kingdom Hearts IS the only good Final-Fantasy (shudders at those two words) like game. And the adorable Disney characters remind me of my childhood down in southern south Texas where we fried up mice and called it "Mickey Me Surprise." Ahhh, then I use to have a hat shaped like Donald Duck's head that I'd use to keep my dirt collection and worms in as a hab-itat. Siiigh, those were the days... sure am glad they ended fast. ANYWAYS, mind if I just call ya Subby Shadow for short? And to the second reviewer all I have to say is: Olri, THANKS A LOT (sarcasm, sarrrcasm) you REALLY help with the self-confidence (points to blade in own wrist). Siiigh, when friends and people ya know real well review your work, it just doesn't feel all too special... ESPECIALLY IF THAT FRIEND (who is about a foot and a half taller than me) ONLY GIVES A TWO WORD REVIEW: "ha ha". Geez-jeez, Olri. I TAKE BACK THE REVIEWS I GAVE YOU (pouts). What does the "ha ha" even mean? I feel like a failure. (cries in misery) I hope your brother is still as cute as he was when I last saw him. I need new pictures to hang up in my "Stalking Profile" wall. (don't tell him I said that, DO NOT TELL HIM I SAID- ah, go ahead and tell him.) ANYWAYS, for all of the readers I absolutely thank from the bottom of my soul's soles for reading this chapter, here is the funnny!

... (I forgot to make up a funny for this chapter)

Mysterious character G: What is hoing on gere?  
Me: Wow, breaking the fourth wall again, DragonQuester. You sure do swoop down to low levels... talk about last resort...

Mysterious character G: Who are you to talking?

Me: Gah, and I'm talking to myself again... need more Dr. Pepper cans. Caffeine makes crazy go bubbling away.  
Mysterious character G: You're bothering not to introduce me!

Me: Oh, sorry about that Gey- I mean, Mr. G. Here ya go, this everyone is Mr. G, a character who will show up in the next chapter. Everyone make him feel welcome because his part in the next chapter is so small it'll be like killing off a minor character that no one knew existed before it was dead (ya know, like that old Hokage guy in Naruto). Also Mr. G has a bit of a... speech impediment. And an under-bite. And a small head. And not a very charming personality.

Mysterious character G: I get paid enough well by SquareEnix to not have to wake your tords seriously.

Me: Soooory. I'm just crummy little girl not big-butt company in Japan. Neeeeeh.

Mysterious character G: While I'm around for this idiot-icess... tet's lalk about this chapter you wrote just. Me: (loud, pained groan)

Mysterious character G: I noticed this chapter has not a word from the pame gractically!

Me: Like I said in my intro chapter I am gonna take some own matters into my own fleshy, widdle hands. This was like an experiment chapter. To see if anyone would protest to the idea and only read the chapters if I followed the game EXACTLY. I only wonder what the peeples think of this chapter.  
Mysterious character G:... It stinks like fin rot.

Me: HEY! That's exactly what I was going for...Neh, IT IS an EXPER-I-MENT! I get some...slack.

Mysterious character G: Alsosh I noticed... you mentioned the "fleeing" boy blonde TWICE. Then you added a group fleeing part!

Me: Well... hey! Fleeing is one of my favorite aspects of the game! I love to watch the party members run for their lives. It gives me joy that they're getting some aerobic fitness in. As for the blonde boy... well... I just wanted to add him so I could move on to this! (**DRAGONQUEST8 CHEAT**: Go to Farebury and speak to the blonde guy in the green tunic near the location where Trode was being bullied by the town, when he finishes what he is saying click the X-button twice and you'll get a little spinning surprise, NOTE: this only works once in ONE GAME sadly. NOTE: Only works AFTER Trode is kicked out** FOR DRAGONQUEST8 BEGINNERS**: There is a girl and a merchant who talk about a mysterious key. And there's a piece of paper near a bell somewhere that gives more detail.)

Me: Just wanted to point that out to anyone who hasn't tried it out yet. I found that little cheat (glitch, wotever) on accident when playing the game for the second time. I loveeeeee it! I laughed so hard after seeing it I haven't found my lost lung since.

Mysterious character G: Really, oh?

Me: Oops, I'm outta space, Mr. G. Sadly you gots to goes.

Mysterious character G: I barely got to talk!

Me: Too bads. You gotta go put on your make-up for your night-job in the play, _The Little Mermaid_. You're the STAR remember?

Mysterious character G: WHAT? I do remember not that!  
Me: Just leave please kind, sir, and pick up all the kelp you brought with you.

Ahhh, Mr. G. What a nice... creature. Really sweet guy on the inside. Really. ANYWAYS, that's all I can type out with my sore fingers for nowdays. HOPEFULLY unlike this time, chapter three won't take FOREVER. (and it will have more substance.. hopefully) Remember, don't swim in the sea after eating tuna-fish or else you'll become the next tuna-mauling victim. Hopefully not as lame as usual, computer-ly signed DragonQuester.


End file.
